This year's bird count offers locals rare opportunities for sightings

An Eastern bluebird sits on a snow-covered branch Thursday in Penn Township. Bird-watchers worldwide began submitting reports as part of the Great Backyard Bird Count, a joint initiative by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. The bird count runs through Monday.

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Canada's loss has become the Hanover area's gain - at least for winter bird watchers.

Food shortages in southern Canada this winter have resulted in migrations much farther south by many varieties of finches.

The scenario has created many more opportunities to sight birds that otherwise are rare for a particular area, expert say. And the sightings by those taking part in a worldwide bird survey that launched today and continues through Monday will help give scientists a detailed picture of exactly how many birds have made the push, and how far they've gone.

The Great Backyard Bird Count, an annual citizen-science survey organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, is under way. Anyone with a general knowledge of birds and 15 minutes to spare before Monday can take part by recording their sightings and submitting them online.

Marshall Illiff, who helped to integrate the website eBird into this year's Backyard Bird Count, said this has been the best year in recent memory for sighting finches and other birds that usually don't migrate to the U.S. in large numbers. Data collected as part of the bird count will allow scientists to recognize the extent of this massive migration, known as an irruption.

Finches like crossbill, grosbeak and pine siskin, and similar species like the red-breasted nuthatch, ordinarily migrate no farther south than the Canadian border, Illiff said.

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But in years like this one, when spruce and white pine trees in Canada fail to produce enough of a cone crop to sustain the birds, finches push far beyond their normal reaches, he said.

And the soon-to-be-collected data is expected show exactly how far south most are going

"After this weekend of counts, we'll be able to draw a pretty strong line," Iliff said.

Among the finch species irrupting south this year is the common redpoll, a bird Larry Bankert, of Blooming Grove Road near Hanover, believes he spotted at his feeder in recent weeks.

A red-breasted nuthatch perches on the grate of a bird feeder Thursday in Penn Township. The birds, which don t typically migrate farther south than the Canadian border, are showing up in the U.S. in large numbers this year because of food shortages to the north. Red-breasted nuthatches usually remain in their winter homes until March, said Marshall Illiff, project leader for the website eBird..

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Karen Lippy, the founder of the Codorus Bird Club, said also she has seen redpoll and pine siskin at the Codorus State Park this migratory season, though most of her sightings were months ago, and she believes the birds moved farther south.

The park, however, is playing seasonal host to about a half dozen birds - many of them waterfowl - that are rare for this area.

One of them - the eared grebe - is making only its third known appearance in the park's 43-year existence, Lippy said.

"In all of Pennsylvania, we've probably never had more than 10 of them," Lippy said, noting the rarity of the western water bird making its way this far east.

Lippy said other waterfowl including the red-necked grebe and red-breasted merganser, also are rare to be found as far inland as the park, but they are living there again this winter, as usual.

Lippy said the park also has become the winter home to at least one Merlin, a small falcon that's not much bigger than a blue jay.

"For some reason we get them here," Lippy said of the park and its birds. "It's one of the most amazing places to see birds.

Bankert, who on most days makes bird-watching trips to Codorus State Park and Long Arm Dam, also reported some early nesting activity this winter.

The self-proclaimed "eagle man," who has watched eagles locally for about eight years, said a female bald eagle began sitting on the nest off Hoff Road last week.

A cardinal sits on a snow-covered branch in Penn Township.

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The Feb. 8 start date is about a week earlier than usual, he said.

Lippy said she's not sure the female on the nest isn't one of an entirely new pair that has supplanted the last pair to mate at the park. It's hard to know for sure, she said.

"The only way you can tell is if their habits are different," Lippy said. "They're definitely acting differently."

Lippy said, too, she's received many reports of red-breasted nuthatches in the area, and that she's keeping an eye out for crossbills, although she hasn't seen any or heard of any sightings in the Hanover area.

At Richard M. Nixon County Park, near Seven Valleys, those who have been watching the park's bird feeders haven't seen a lot of evidence of the irruption, said Francis Velazquez, the park's manager of education.

But park staff remains hopeful some rarer sightings might be in the mix this weekend, when the park will coordinate a number of bird-themed events timed to coincide with the Great Backyard Bird Count.

There is a $2 admission fee that's good for all weekend, and some of the events, like the bluebird nestbox workshop, require an additional fee. Children 5 and under will be admitted to the visitors center for free.

Nixon Park naturalist Kelsey Frey said sightings throughout the park this weekend will be reported as part of the worldwide bird count. Anyone watching the park's feeders or who encounters a unique bird while out hiking can mark it on a giant dry-erase board at the visitor center.

She described this weekend's festivities at the park as a "celebration of birds."

"We hope to introduce people to the hobby of bird-watching and let people know that conservation can take place in your backyard.

John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, said the more people taking part in the bird count, the more telling the data will be.

"We're looking forward to this historic snapshot of birds that that will be reported from around the world," he said.

How to count

The Great Backyard Bird Count runs until Monday. Those wishing to submit data must watch birds, out of their windows or in the field, for at least 15 minutes on one of the days. The data is submitted on line, and those submitting data must create an account. For detailed instructions on how to submit data, go to www.birdsource.org.

If you go

What: Great Backyard Bird Count Weekend

When: Saturday and Sunday

Where: Richard M. Nixon County Park, 5922 Nixon Drive, Springfield.

What's happening: Bird-watching, bird hikes, bluebird nest box workshop, scavenger hunt, crafts for kids, and the park's collection of more than 300 bird eggs will be on display.

Cost: Admission is $2 for entire weekend, with workshops available to a limited number at an additional cost. Admission is free for children 5 and under.